Fallen Angel
by Pinstripes and Buttons
Summary: Snape and Lily are over. Done. What happens after? R


Remus sat under the shade of a tree out near the lake one sunny afternoon. The air was brisk, but it only came along every so often, and didn't bother him too much. The rest of the marauders were there with him of course, but they seemed quite restless compared to Remus, who was rather content with just reading. James, obviously, had a better idea. "Look, our favorite little friend has come to play."

Sirius laughed along with Peter and James. Remus looked up and watched Snape move hurriedly across the grounds, clearly trying to avoid them. "Leave him alone James." Remus said in a bored tone, returning to his book.

"Oh, come on Moony," Peter joked, knocking the book from Remus' hands, "We're only going to have a little talk."

Remus rolled his eyes at the comment, but stood up and joined them anyway. He'd just scowl them later. As always. They walked across the sharp smelling grass and James grabbed the back of Snapes robes, pulling him to the ground. "Why hullo there Snivellus. Fancy meeting you here..."

Remus zoned himself out, not really wanting to pay attention anymore. He knew exactly what his friends would do. Humilliate him, taunt him and chase him off. They'd made a habit of it after Snape tried to expose Remus for being a werewolf. The other marauders never let it go, although Snape had long since regretted attempted to take out a marauder. Remus knew it wasn't right, but he also had his own reasons, seperate from the collective group, as to why he hated Snape. The same went with James, although that was just obvious. Snape was Lily's best friend and James was absolutly head over heels for Lily.

"Let him down!" Remus tuned back in, opening his eyes to find Lily shove James.

Sirius went to grab her, but lost the need - or ability- when Snapes voice filled the air, "Filthy MUDBLOOD!"

It was as though time itself had froze. Nobody moved, blinked or breathed. James had dropped his wand in shock, and Snape had hit the ground with a thud. Remus glanced from his shunned friends to a humiliated Lily. Tears welled in her beautiful greens eyes and her bottom lip quivered. Snape was trying to apologize as he stood up on shaking legs, but Lily had took off. She tossed her book bag aside and one could easily see that she was faster without it. Only Remus would've been able to catch her - if he hadn't have been frozen with shock. Snape had started running after her. Remus knew James would've gone to stop him if Professer Vladmir (Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher) hadn't have shown up, shooing the students away from the sence. James, Sirius and Peter all hurried towards the school, not even laughing under their breath.

"Is everything alright here Mr. Lupin?" Vladmir asked, eyeing Remus suspiciously.

"No professer, just a simple misunderstanding." the words were like vinager coming out. How could he say what just happened was a misunderstanding? Luckily, the professer trusted him and left. All the teachers knew Remus wouldn't do anything to attrack attention, not with his condition. As Vladmir stalked off towards the school again, Remus walked over to gather Lily's bag. A few pages had fallen out, but they just looked like they had ink scribbled over them. No, he looked closer and found that the particular sheet he held in his hand was a picture missing its outlines. Curious, he looked at the others, ones that were finished. None of them moved but they were all hand drawn, Lily's signature in the bottom right hand corner.

* * *

Remus walked through the corridors alone, Lily's bag slung over his shoulder and one of her pictures in his hand. Why did they call to him? They were all so different, but so very similar. Some were close up's of a wolf's face, others of a boy's face. Others were sky view's or level views of multipul locations, but they all had something in common - it was dark and the moon (when visible) was full.

"Lily please -" Remus stopped short at the sound of Snapes pleading voice

"No, Sev, just stop it. I'm done with covering for you - making up excuses to explain why I still hang out with you - I'm done Sev." Lily said in a firm voice.

Remus peeked from his hiding spot to find Lily with her arms crossed over her chest; Snapes eyes on the floor. "Lily, please, I ... I don't know how to make you believe -"

"Just leave." she said, her voice aching.

"Lily I..."

Lily shook her head no and whispered, "I never thought you'd sink to his level ... I never thought you'd do that to me ... I thought I meant more to you then that..." she took a heavy breath and Snape appeared to know what was coming next. Lily said it anyway, her voice faintly lined with hysteria and greatly weighed down by sorrow, "I thought wrong..."

Snape raised a hand, but never touched her. He apologized once more, but he knew nothing he said would be good enough for her. He knew well enough that Lily was right. He'd done too many stupid things and he failed. She wasn't taking him back - no matter what.

Soon Snape had vanished and Lily stood alone, looking absently out over the grounds. Remus stood behind the pillar and wondered what to do. Should he just walk past her? No, he had her bag and she'd be needing it. But would talking to her make anything better? She hated James ... would she hate him just as much? One glance at the perplexing drawing in his hand and Remus knew the answer.

He cautiously moved from behind the pillar and walked with the same caution towards her. He glanced nervously at the sky, but knew it wasn't going to happen tonight - she was safe. Lily's face was red and damp, but even though she'd probably been crying for a few hours, she still looked pretty. Once he stood behind her he said in a soft voice in order to avoid startling her, "Evans?"

She flexed her fingers, reajusting her grip on her arms and turned to him. she pressed her head against his chest and sobbed silently. Remus stood there confused. He'd avoided any girl that showed an interest in him because he was a werewolf and now he was standing in an empty corridor with the only girl James had eyes for. _I'm so dead if he comes along, _a tiny voice said. However, a larger voice silenced the tiny voice and told Remus to comfort Lily regardless. And he did, by wrapping his arms hesitantly around her and rubbing her back in slow circles. Lily turned her head so her eyes faced the grounds and wrapped her arms around Remus, locking her fingers behind his back.

After the sun had sucessfully vanished behind the mountains, but still shone enough to stain the clouds, he awkwardly asked her, "Are you going to be okay?"

Lily's arms dropped and Remus instantly pulled away to give her room if she wanted to leave. She forced a weak smile, "I won't bite you, promise." Remus smiled back, but lost it when she said, "I have no idea what to do now."

Remus looked around and asked, "Do you, um, maybe wanna go for a walk maybe?"

Lily smiled and nodded.

* * *

"And now this ... I mean, I know I should've just ditched him after first year but..."

"He was your best friend and he did show you the magical world. I don't blame you for not wanting to give up on him. He sounds like he meant alot to you." Remus said. They were sitting on the end of the dock, their feet hanging over the edge. The sky was dark and littered with stars; a near full moon hung overhead.

"I guess ... I don't know..." Lily shrugged and leaned against his shoulder.

Remus nodded, then remembered, "Oh, I have your bag. You dropped it earlier and -"

"My pictures!" Lily gasped as he handed her her bag. She rumaged through it, moving her lips silently, made a puzzled face, moved her lips again and looked at him, "I'm missing one. I'm missing a -"

"I have it," Remus said quickly, not wanting Lily to get all worked up again. He handed the folded piece of paper to her. She took it carefully, eyeing him and unfolded it slowly. "I didn't do anything to it I swear."

"I'm so sorry..." she whispered, casting her eyes away.

Remus was now completely confused. He'd just put two and two together. "How did you find out?"

Lily hook her head, "September of this year. Peter was looking for you guys - I told him you'd gone out to the grounds. It was getting dark and I didn't want him going alone - He told me not to follow, but I didn't listen. I saw him running down to the Womping Willow and when he turned into a rat I -" Lily took a breath, "I followed him through the tunnel and found the shrieking shack and I saw ... I saw..."

"Me change." Remus now looked away from her, ashamed.

There was a light touch on his shoulder and he turned back to find her looking at him, "No, I saw Peter the rat run up beside a stag and a massive black dog and I ... I knew it was James and Sirius. I don't know how I just did. But they were watching this, um," she looked away shyly.

"I don't mind what you say, I'm kind of used to it." he laughed slightly.

Lily continued, "Well, the creature looked horrible. I could tell it was a werewolf but I couldn't understand why the rest of the marauders - yes, I know about that too - were watching it. Well, I hurried back to Hogwarts, but I couldn't sleep. I sat next to the window in the girls dormatory, the one that has the view of the lake ... I was terrified and when I'm terrified, I draw - I don't know why. In the morning Helena was shaking me, calling for help and other girls claimed I'd been posessed by a demon. I was taken to the hospital wing."

"That's why you missed school. James was freaking out - anyway, continue."

"When I finally was let out, I went to my bed and found numerous sketchs of wolves and lakes and the shack and this boy. I couldn't put a name to him. This kept happening even time there was a full moon. I'd follow them out to the Womping willow and wait til it almost woke up and then follow you to the shack. Then I'd watch and run back, not sleep and end up drawing without control. I couldn't figure out who the slumped figure they were carrying around was and it drove me insane."

Remus nodded, considering this. "When did you figure it was me?"

"When you hugged me, I knew you were different. I could feel the difference. But it was only now when you gave me back my picture and I looked at you, all dressed in the moonlight ... I'm so sorry..."

Remus wrapped his arm around her, this time without fear or hesitation, "Don't worry, it's okay..." he soothed as she put her head in the space between his shoulder and neck. "I'm just glad you told me, I mean, this isn't something to keep to yourself, especailly not for you. You're so delicate and vurnable ... I'm not trying to offend you but it's true."

Lily laughed slightly, "It is pretty hard to keep it a secret. After the first incident in September, everyone wanted to know what happened, because they'd seen me disappear with Peter. It took forever to convience them nothing happened and yeah,"

"Remus?"

"Moony?"

Lily moved away and Remus helped her to her feet, "Thanks for listening to me rant. You're the best, and I don't care about the wolf thing. I love you dispite that." she assured him.

Remus smiled, "Thanks Lily - what, did I say something wrong?"

Lily shook away her look of shock and replied, "You called me 'Lily' and not 'Evans'."

Remus grinned, "We should split up before James rips me in half for being with you."

"Prongs can get over himself." Remus made a questioning face and asked how much she really knew about them. Lily shrugged and replied, "More then you know." she kissed him gently on the cheek and placed a wrinkled sheet of parchment in his hands. "Night, Remus," and she danced off the dock.

Remus watched her disappear before looking down at the sheet in his hands. It was a picture of him as a werewolf looking at his human reflection in the untouched surface of a lake somewhere deep in the forbidden forest. He smiled to himself.

"Whatcha doing out here all alone?" Sirius asked in a joking voice, "Talking to the merpeople?"

"Hey, what's in your hand?" James inquired, trying to grab it.

Remus pulled it out of his reach but Sirius grabbed it, "Wow, wicked picture. You draw this Moony?"

"No," he covered the corner with Lily's signature, knowing James would reconize it in a heartbeat. "Some owl gave it to me and flew off. I don't know who it's from."

"Cool," they said together and started talking while they moved back to the castle. Remus tucked the picture inside his robes.

* * *

When they snuck back into the commons room, Lily was sitting cross legged on an armchair, the flames of the fire making shadows dance across her face. She merely looked up and returned to her work. Remus smiled inwardly, knowing that even though the four marauders were heading upstairs, a secret marauder sat comfortably back in the commons room. And he'd keep her secret till he died.

* * *

**Years Later**

* * *

Rain came down from the miserable grey sky like a fine silk curtain. There weren't many people attending the funeral, and those that were were slowly leaving. It made sense. No one really knew James and Lily Potter because of their secret. There was only one person at the funeral who truly _knew_ them.

_The house was crumbling, a loud roaring fading in the distance. All was silent but the silence rang with an air of death. Remus hurried up the street and into the house his closest friends once resided within. James was on the floor in the living room, dead. He hurried up to the bedrooms and found one door at the end of the hall blown inward. One Lily Potter lay in a crumple on the floor, a look of fear and sadness on her face. He turned her over so she lay on her back, moving stray bits of hair frm her face and closing her pleading green eyes. He later did the same for his friend James, but Harry was missing, and he had no idea where he was..._

James coffin was already being buried, but Lily's was still open. Her face was cold and pale, but she didn't look dead - just sleeping. He bowed his head and reached into the ratty cloak he wore. He drew from it a crumpled, yellowing piece of parchment and tucked it under the tulips that'd been put in her dead hands. "You'll always be the only one ... you'll always be the secret marauder..."

The people closed her coffin and lowered her gently into the ground. Remus watched as the hole was slowly filled with dirt before turning and hurrying from the area.


End file.
